There has been a debate around this issue, on whether T.V causes health problems to children or not. Some point at parents and say that it is their responsibility; others do not really believe that it has anything to do with television in the first place. Come to realize and after looking at many surveys, it has been noticed that children are suffering from specific health problems that are caused by the television’s excessive radiation caused by excessive hours in front of the television, and other physical health issues too! “A recent study from Australia found that it greatly increase the possibility of diseases for those who sit in front of television for too long. Meanwhile, it will shorten the life span by several years” says Wang Xi Xiang.
Pessimists think, young children are emotionally vulnerable and ads are developed to take advantage of that vulnerability, so one of their complaints is “emotional health” disorder. James Steyer states in his book, The Other Parent, that television advertisements for kids make them think that they are “losers” if they do not purchase that specific product, or in other words, it lowers their self-esteem. Allen Kanner and Tim Kasser stated that “advertisers have hired psychological consultants to study every phase and stage of a child's life, and then used the results to develop sophisticated commercials that have the desired effect on our children.”
Aside of the entire emotional dilemma comes physical issues. Numerous studies have linked being overweight with watching television, because it both reduces children's physical activity and subjects them to food advertisements with high fat and sugar content; given that the most common products addressed to children include sugared cereals, candies, sodas, and snack foods. A kid’s contribution to such food may increase the number of overweight children and the rise in diabetes, especially given the inactive behavior of many others.
Nevertheless, for every disadvantage there must be an advantage. Sure, spending lots of hours watching the T.V makes a kid a “couch potato” and it distracts him away from other activities; also, being able to participate in physical activities and sports reduces to a great extent, so when you think about it, even creativity is affected! But again, Television does replace other activities, like being able to interact with friends and peers online, summing up all the homework and projects, and pretty much improving their skills.
As previously stated, being glued to the television screen makes the child obese for the child tends to eat and have snacks in between shows. Therefore, the basal metabolic rate drops down noticeably since the child is helplessly inactive. Television also causes lots of trouble in the child’s behavior and disorder. “Statistics show an overwhelming rise in behavioral issues like aggression, obstinacy, violence, and hyperactivity, amongst children, which find their way in to adulthood,” says researcher David Dunstan.
Numerous studies and “clinical trials” stated that excessive television viewing contributes in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD. If the hours of TV watched exceed a certain level, a child's brain may be wired to respond more to the TV environment (rapid changes of sounds and images) than the natural environment. Sleep is affected to a great extent. Insomnia or sleeplessness, or altered sleep patterns have been demonstrated.
As my article obviously states, the disadvantages of excessive hours in front of a television contributes to many health problems in widely different aspects. The child is still growing and so, he must be experiencing life in various ways and by numerous means, least of them is watching television. Maybe if the parents were well aware of what television causes, they’d allow the child to have less television sessions or video games and more outdoor activities and practically improvement of skills!
Bibliography
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Emotional Health
http://www.limitv.org/health.htm
Article “Pay Attention to the Health Problems Caused by Television” by Wang Xi Xiang
TV Time for Kids May Increase Behavior Problems, Health Risks
“Turn off the TV. Too much television may lead to health problems” by Helen Fields
“Too much television, internet linked to long-term health problems for children...” by the LifeSiteNews.
“Tv Causes Obesity, Heart Problems | Television Health Risks | How Tv Affects Children | TV Health Effects” by David Dunstan
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